In Pictures: Levi’s and New Balance tap mountain bike culture for latest footwear collaboration

Levi’s and New Balance have once again joined forces on a men’s and women’s footwear collaboration, this time nodding to the mountain bike culture of Marin County in California.

Trailblazing riders in the 1970s – at the time mainly riding their "klunker" paperboy bikes up and down a steep, rocky and unforgiving terrain - adopted Levi’s denim as their uniform due to its durability. This new footwear collection utilises Levi’s fabrics on the classic New Balance MT580 silhouette, which originally launched in 1996.

The newly reissued MT580 "brings the iconic chunky silhouette back to life", with a slimmed down toe and reduced collar height. The midsole features ‘C-CAP’ in the forefoot and PU in the rearfoot, delivering cushioning, support and flexibility​.

For enhanced support, the shoes are equipped with a ‘RollBar’ stability system to help control rear foot movement.

Additionally, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Levi’s 501 jeans, each shoe is integrated with Levi’s signature ‘Shrink-To-Fit’ denim.

The collaboration is offered in two  colorways; a grey/blue version crafted with nubuck uppers, featuring overdyed Levi’s denim on the toe box and side panel, and a beige/black version crafted with hairy suede uppers, featuring washed black Levi’s denim on the toe box and side panels.

Delivered in special packaging that tells the story of the birth of mountain biking, each shoe features a classic Levi’s ‘Red Tab’ and comes with three sets of laces​.

The collaboration collection is now available on the Levi’s and New Balance websites, as well as on the Levi’s App and in selected stores, priced at £155.